BANGOR, Maine — The sexual assaults committed by a former special education teacher from Norridgewock against three young boys were “the worst I’ve ever seen,” U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr. said Friday when he sentenced the man to 65 years in prison.
Patrik Ian Arsenault, 28, was also sentenced by Woodcock to a lifetime of supervised release, if he ever gets out.
“There are a number of factors that make this case particularly egregious,” Woodcock said.
Arsenault, who taught at schools in Wayne and Farmington, admitted in federal court in July that he photographed himself sexually assaulting three young boys in 2013 and then emailed the child pornography to other pedophiles, one of whom was arrested and convicted in Georgia. Two of Arsenault’s victims are autistic.
Arsenault was convicted of three federal counts of producing child pornography, transportation and receipt of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography.
The crimes are especially heinous because, “one [victim] is nonverbal and another is limited verbal,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCormack told the court. “The defendant drugged [the boys] with cough syrup … [and] he even invited his trading partners up to take part.”
Arsenault also had more than 7,500 images of prepubescent child pornography and 250 child porn videos on his home and work computers, the prosecutor said.
In an email he sent to a fellow pedophile in Georgia on July 24, 2013, Arsenault said he had opened Pandora’s Box, McCormack said reading the email.
“It’s almost all I can think about,” Arsenault wrote.
“He may be powerless to close that box but a lengthy sentence will close it for him,” the prosecutor said.
Woodcock also made Arsenault a lifetime registrant on the Maine Sex Offender Registry and the federal sex offender registry.
Arsenault had been a teacher in a regional autism program at Wayne Elementary School and was hired at W.G. Mallett Elementary School in Farmington before his arrest on Aug. 21, 2013, by Maine State Police and agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Despicable crimes like this rob our children of their innocence,” Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, said. “We entrust teachers to serve as role models for our children and safeguard their welfare. As this sentence makes clear, when that trust is violated, there will be severe consequences. This case should also serve as a stern warning to those who mistakenly believe cyberspace affords them anonymity on the Internet to sexually exploit children with impunity.”
U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty commended the work of Homeland Security Investigation’s Special Agent Anthony Castellanos, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Bangor Police Department for partnering together to quickly solve the case.
When it came time for Arsenault to make a statement, he did not apologize but he did try to explain.
“I fought against occasional thoughts of pedophilia … and there was nowhere I could go to get help,” he told the court.
He said he would someday like to become a sexual assault counselor to help other pedophiles.
Three parents spoke in court about the devastating effects Arsenault’s actions have had on their children. Two of the victims were ages 6 and 7 when assaulted. The third boy’s age was not released.
“Even grocery shopping isn’t the same,” one boy’s mother said.
She recalled a time when her son recently ran up to a store clerk and gave her his full name.
“I yelled at my son,” the mother said, with tears streaming down her face.
She also said he has nightmares, has fits of crying, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and has acted inappropriately in public.
“The saddest part is my son doesn’t realize what is wrong,” she said.
The most devastating part of the crime is knowing, “the pictures will never be fully deleted from the Internet,” she said.
The other mother who spoke said her family is trying to heal.
“While I feel so much anger … I refuse to live with the burden of all the hate and the rage,” she said. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness … only light can drive out hate. I truly believe this.”
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.